Auto2026-04-24T10:02:49-07:00

Superior Results. Delivered.

Welcome

The automotive industry is a niche market.  In the same way you would choose your attorney by their area of law specialization, likewise, it is the case for selection of your CPA.  The need for an automotive-centric CPA is no longer an extravagance, but a necessity.  And in the final analysis, it’s an uncommon breadth of experience… over many years… that allows me to cater to auto dealers who have outgrown their current generalist CPA Firm and/or otherwise are not receiving responsive, cost-effective solutions from their current regional or national firm.  If you’re ready for a partner who delivers personalized, educational service with real depth — let’s talk.

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What We Do

About Roger

The best client relationships are those in which the dealer and their dream team of seasoned professionals are efficiently marching in lock step toward a common goal.

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Unparalleled Automotive Expertise

“I haven’t just read about auto industry taxation and accounting practices… I’ve lived it as it has unfolded.”.
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Client Services

Directly, and in conjunction with Kho & Patel CPA’s Automotive Services Group, as well as Strategic Partners, Roger offers a wide range of services to dealers.

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Kho & Patel CPAs

Your relationship with Roger is complemented by the full range of automotive industry services offered by Kho & Patel CPAs, a 20+ team firm in San Dimas, California.

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Meet Roger

A senior partner with Kho & Patel CPAs, Roger Rossmeisl’s practice for the past 40+ years has been serving franchised new vehicle dealerships with their tax, assurance and consulting needs.

Whether you’re a successful General Manager that now finds him or herself a newly minted Dealer Principal seeking an Automobile Dealership CPA Firm… or a seasoned automotive veteran looking to make a change to an Automotive CPA that understands your business… we need to talk.

Our Services

Audit/Assurance

Audits, reviews, and compilations serve as essential financial reporting tools to deliver a clear, comprehensive picture of your business’s financial health. In today’s environment of heightened accountability—to stakeholders, lenders, investors, and regulators — the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of your financial statements are more critical than ever.

Tax Planning/Preparation

Major financial decisions in your business and personal life — such as investments, expansions, property purchases, or retirement planning — can significantly impact your tax position for years to come. Proactive tax planning is essential to uncover the most effective strategies under current tax laws, helping you minimize liabilities and maximize long-term wealth preservation.

Business Advisory/Consulting

As an entrepreneur, you thrive on bold ideas, calculated risks, and turning the impossible into reality. Wearing multiple hats to drive your vision forward is part of what makes you exceptional — but it can also be overwhelming. We can provide, and/or direct you to expert guidance, objective insights, and strategic support from seasoned professionals who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of innovative business owners like you.

Services Offered in Conjunction with Strategic Partners

In today’s complex financial and regulatory environment, specialized needs sometimes require expertise beyond traditional accounting and tax services. We partner with a trusted network of strategic professionals—such as attorneys, financial advisors, insurance specialists, appraisers and industry specialists — to deliver seamless, comprehensive solutions while you continue working with your dedicated CPA team.

What Clients Are Saying…

“Roger is simply the best automotive CPA there is…”

Roger is the BEST.  I have worked with Roger for over 20 years as a CFO and General Manager of automotive dealerships.  Roger is simply the best automotive CPA there is.  His professionalism and attention to detail saved us from many negative outcomes.  He’s a trusted accountant and goes the extra mile to make sure our stores were tax compliant.  When Roger is part of your team, it means peace of mind.

– Kathi K.

Kathi, Your Content Goes Here

“Roger is a high level skilled professional…”

Roger is a high level skilled professional. I have worked with Roger on multiple projects as a client. When complex issues arise Roger finds a creative way to resolve these issues that adhere to and comply with the ever-changing accounting principles and tax laws. I’m thankful that Roger is part of our corporate team and would strongly recommend him if you’re a startup or a long-existing corporation he will help you facilitate and grow revenue streams in areas that were not previously considered. What’s critical is that Roger takes a proactive approach to accounting and or tax law changes that directly affect your industry, enabling one to make well-informed decisions while getting ahead of any potential problems that may arise out of these changes. I’m so thankful that Roger is on our team.

– James W.

James, Your Content Goes Here

“I highly recommend Roger and will continue to do business with him in the future…”

Roger Rossmeisl is, in my opinion, the best choice for automotive dealership Accounting and Auditing in the marketplace today. I have worked with him on a few challenging projects and he offers sound tax advice, best practices for maintaining accurate and timely records, and will fully research any questions that may have more than one option to ensure his clients are making informed decisions. He understands dealerships’ accounting and taxes better than most CPA’s I have had to work with in the past.

Very Important Quality – He never seems to get rattled and is quite pleasant to work with, even when the situation is not ideal.

He handled my personal Tax Return as well when I relocated to another state and helped me through the transition.

I highly recommend Roger and will continue to do business with him in the future. If you are less than satisfied with your current level of service, do yourself a favor and meet with Roger. You may find your next CPA!

– April B.

April, Your Content Goes Here

“Roger is always my go-to professional…”

In the nearly two decades that I have known Roger, he has, repeatedly, proven himself an invaluable treasure trove of knowledge and skill in every aspect of tax law and finances. He is also self-driven, detail-oriented, and honest. I am truly honored to know Roger both professionally and personally.

As someone who is self-employed and runs several businesses, I often find myself in challenging financial situations, where I require insight and advice from someone skilled in the nuances of taxation. Roger is always my go-to professional. Sometimes my questions and issues are novel and demand research. Roger consistently finds the answer.

Aside from his unequalled professionalism, Roger is also a super nice guy, whose integrity, empathy, and compassion, shine both in his business and personal lives. I am honored to call him both “colleague” and “friend.”

– Warren W.

Warren, Your Content Goes Here

“He has earned my trust and respect, and I highly recommend him…”

Roger has been my exclusive choice for CPA services for many years, having previously performed long-term, continuing engagements with two past employers and now in my own auto parts company. He has earned my trust and respect, and I highly recommend him to anyone in need of the services he offers.

– Curtis P.

Curtis, Your Content Goes Here

“We are proud to have Roger as our CPA and highly recommend him…”

Roger has been our CPA since we formed our business in 2015. Roger’s knowledge, professionalism, and approach to his work make him a perfect fit for our company. We are proud to have Roger as our CPA and highly recommend him.

– Ryan V.

Ryan, Your Content Goes Here

“Second to none, he is hands down the “go-to” CPA for everyone…”

I have been a Client of Roger since 1995 – he is amazing . . . Second to none, he is hands down the “go-to” CPA for everyone . . . His integrity, knowledge and work ethic blow everyone else out of the water!  Highly recommended for ALL industries, local and International, large and small, Corporate and personal . . . See for yourself – you will not be disappointed!

– Lynn H.

Lynn, Your Content Goes Here

“He has been there to answer all my questions…”

Coming from out of state with a rental property, a corporation, a medical practice and the loss of my husband, Roger was able to make sense of my financial situation and personal set-backs. He has been there to answer all my questions and navigate all my returns. I am amazed and grateful to have found such an amazing accountant.

– Beth B.

Beth, Your Content Goes Here

FAQs

What sets our firm apart is the sweet spot we occupy.  On the one hand, we stand ready to assist businesses that have outgrown their current CPA Firm.  On the other hand, we have the uncommon depth and breadth of knowledge in a variety of industries and areas of tax, some might think only a regional or national firm could provide.  Because our team members have different professional experiences in a number of complementary areas, we can efficiently leverage these resources more efficiently, and cost effectively, than a larger firm.  Essentially, we’re more nimble.

When working with an existing dealer for the first time, the first step is to break everything down to the lowest common denominator, so-to-say.  Each entity, and how these related companies interact with each other.  Consider whether the interactions are arranged in a tax-wise manner. Looking at everything with a new set of eyes can be very… well, eye-opening.  The same goes for the dealership returns.  At the end of the first year’s work, I will be in a position to create a bullet point list of observations on presentation, compliance issues, and opportunities for tax savings.  Here’s where my experience really comes to bear.  From this lowest common denominator list, I can let the dealer know what concepts must be followed to a “T”, which ones have some wiggle-room, and which ones can be disregarded or otherwise circumvented.  Once all of the ideas are on the table, and the dealer understands the individual concepts and how they interact, we come to an agreement on the approach we’re going to take, and we’re off and running.

Working with a first-time auto dealer is an important job.  One reason is because everything is new.  Everything must be set up from scratch.  I always say that it’s easier to do something right the first time than to have to fix it later.  But you have let me help… keep me in the loop. I had a dealership client once that was on the grow… purchasing a new dealership every year.  The problem was that his attorney didn’t know dealerships, and I never heard about the transaction until it was consummated.  The result?  Every year, I spent a good amount of time figuring out how to undo errors in the business entity formations, ownership changes, and more.  Here’s where one of my taglines comes front and center.  “Personalized service with an educational pre-disposition”.  But you have to let me help! I love working with new dealers because I’m a teacher at heart.  Someone that does not have the experience or knowledge is not someone to be taken advantage of, but rather a new relationship to be nurtured.  My door is always open 24/7.  When I can be the part of the team that helps the new dealer achieve success, I know I will have a friend for life!  I particularly enjoy seeing a dealer have that “lightbulb moment” when they finally understand a difficult concept we’re discussing.  My colleagues will attest to the fact that I love helping the underdog.

I spoke with a dealer once that said they engaged a national firm because they had stores in different states and thought that type of firm was needed to do the work.  The next sentence out of his mouth was that nobody they sent out to do the work knew anything about dealerships.  That’s unfortunate. What’s optimal about our firm is the sweet spot we occupy.  On the one hand, we stand ready to assist dealerships and other businesses that have outgrown their current CPA Firm.  On the other hand, we have the uncommon depth and breadth of knowledge in the automotive space, as well as other industries and areas of tax, some might think only a regional or national firm could provide.  Because our team members have different professional experiences in a number of complementary areas, we can efficiently leverage these resources more efficiently, and cost effectively, than a larger firm.  Essentially we’re more nimble. So my advice to you is that, even if you do have a “dealership specialist” doing your tax work, you owe it to yourself to have someone take a look every now and then.  In the same way that publicly traded companies change auditors on a regular basis, you should consider having someone come in to question the “we’ve always done it that way” mentality and look at something with a fresh set of eyes.

While there is a certain fiber of the auto dealer mindset that is the same throughout, each dealer is an individual.  That said, each dealer has different preferences for how things are done, and how much, or how little, they want to know about the intricate interrelationships of different tax concepts. Some dealers are consummate businesspeople… astute to a T.  Others vie to be the ultimate people person.  Then there are the Lone Rangers having a let-them-come-and-get-me attitude.  What we’re talking about here are personality styles. The worst thing a service provider can do is to try and fit each of these disparate personality styles into the service provider’s box.  “You have to do it my way”!  “It’s my way or the highway”. Everyone has heard of “The Golden Rule”.  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Think about it.  That doesn’t really work unless the other person is exactly like you… which isn’t going to be the case if they’re a different personality style.  Now, have you heard of “The Platinum Rule”?  It says, “treat others as they want to be treated”.  Makes a lot more sense, right?  That is the maxim I try to adhere to.

A few decades ago, the IRS came to the realization that franchise new vehicle dealerships are essentially like banks, with all the money that runs through them.  Since then, they’ve been on what seems to be a mission of issuing new dealership-specific tax law every few years or so. You’ve heard what they say about the process of learning.  There’s a big difference between reading about something, attending a lecture, and actually doing it.  Well, I’m here to tell you that, with over 40 years of experience in dealership taxation, I haven’t just read about it… I’ve lived it, as it has unfolded.  You’re just not going to get that working breadth of knowledge any other way.  This is that I bring to the table for dealers.

A while back, we took on a new dealership group client that had an interesting scenario.  The group’s CFO was a CPA that had previously worked at an automotive niche CPA.  I was surprised to learn that it was the same firm that I had started my career at.  He had left the CPA firm a few years prior to me starting.  Because of this, the dealership group engaged no outside CPA firm.  The CPA CFO prepared all of the returns for the dealerships, the management company, the real estate company, and the dealer.  Although this was highly unorthodox, I expected great things from their tax returns, given the CPA CFO’s pedigree. Once I started getting into the returns, I found that they looked great… if they had been prepared in the 1978 when the CPA CFO left the CPA firm.  The problem was that it was now 30 years later and therefore, by today’s standards, the returns were a complete train wreck.  Back in those days, people essentially prepared the tax returns right off of the dealer financial statement, made an adjustment for income taxes, and perhaps LIFO, and you were done.  Now, in the 21st century, that is a distant memory. The long and short of it is that I completely re-tooled everything, bringing it up to today’s standards.  At the onset, I thought this was going to result in balances due on all of the amended returns.  As it turned out, I was able to get back many hundreds of thousands of dollars with some accounting method changes to correct things like depreciation methods and missed tax credits.  Of course you’re results will vary! The lesson to be learned here is that, even if you do have a “dealership specialist” doing your tax work, you owe it to yourself to have someone take a look every now and then.  Just the same as publicly traded companies changing auditors on a regular basis, you should have someone come in to question the “we’ve always done it that way” mentality.

It used to be that there were many more generalists than specialists in all professions.  But over the years… across the board…  life is getting more and more complicated… and litigious.  The automotive industry is no exception.  In fact, it may even be ahead of the curve for increased complexity.  Make no mistake, a CPA that specializes in auto dealership taxation is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Have you heard of Malcom Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule?  Gladwell considers the key to success in any field, is simply a matter of practicing a specific task that can be accomplished with 20 hours of work per week for 10 years.  With over 40 years on the clock working with dealership clients, I’d say I’m an expert using any means of measurement. Even with that street cred, I don’t know everything.  Nobody does.  That’s why, over the years, I’ve worked with many other people in complementary professions that also serve the automotive industry and/or are otherwise tops in their respective fields.  These are Strategic Partners that can be called upon when there are issues that they are the experts in.  Areas like law, banking, appraisals, business valuations, estate planning, engineering studies, inventory services, employee placement, and so on. Plus, I’m a member of nine different auto dealership organizations.  Let it suffice to say that the automotive industry has been my life… and what a ride it’s been.  If you’re considering a change, and want to speak with someone as passionate about your business as you are… give me call!

If you’re a franchised new vehicle dealership, you need to have a CPA that specializes in your industry.  When I think about what a dealership tax return looked like in the 1980s versus today… well, it’s like night and day.  You might think, “how hard can it be… money you receive is income, and money you spend is an expense, right?”.  If only it were that easy.  What’s troubling is that . . . it should be!  Instead, the IRS spends it’s time coming up with endless ideas to waste our time that are merely “timing” differences.  That is to say, they create tax laws that take a whole lot more time to comply with… and all they really do is move the income or deduction from one year to another. Without an automotive-centric CPA on your team, I guarantee that your returns have tax landmines in them that you don’t even know about.  Wouldn’t it be better to find about these issues now from me, rather than from the IRS while in the middle of an audit?  I’ve got a solution I’d like to share with you.  At no cost to you, I will be happy to review one of your dealership tax returns and give you my assessment.   Since I’ve been doing this for over 40 years, I can gauge pretty quickly the efficacy of your return, and the knowledge of its preparer.  I’ll provide you with comments on presentation, compliance issues, and opportunities for tax savings.  To get the process started, please call me direct at (714) 325-0442.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Newsroom

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S corporation owners who work in the business have long been required to pay themselves reasonable compensation as W-2 wages for services performed before taking distributions. The IRS has emphasized this for years (see IRS Fact Sheet FS-2008-25, August 2008). What has changed is the speed and scale of enforcement—especially in California. California’s Franchise Tax [...]

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Anti-fraud training can teach workers how criminals might try to steal your business’s assets. But training may not be enough if employees don’t have the authority to question supervisors’ requests or escalate suspicions to the next level. You don’t have to give every employee the ability to reject a payment, freeze an account or accuse [...]

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Contributing as much as possible to tax-deferred retirement accounts such as traditional 401(k)s and IRAs is a common recommendation. Contributions generally are pretax or deductible, and the power of tax-deferred compounding can help turbocharge growth. But some taxpayers can reach a point where maximizing tax deferral may become counterproductive. Potential downsides of tax-deferred saving After [...]

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Contact Roger to see how he and the Kho & Patel CPAs Automotive Services Group can benefit your franchised new vehicle dealership.

ROGER ROSSMEISL | PARTNER

ROGER ROSSMEISL | PARTNER

Kho & Patel CPAs
160 E. Arrow Highway
San Dimas, CA 91773

(714) 325-0442
roger@khopatel.com

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